Potato sorter or screening apparatus



H. MAnsoN. POTATO SORTER OB SCREENING APPAHATU APPLICATIQH FILED OCT. 25, i920.

satema oct. 3,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l H. MADSON. POTATO SOHTER 0R SCREENING APPARAT APPLICATION FILED OCTa 26. |920.

Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" t e?, Patented @et o, ill/litt ffii.

SON, DET EJLEDCAN RAPDS, INNESOT..

'.HQTAT SOB-.EE

d plicatiol filed October 52S, 3.920. Serial. No. S02.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1 llenar Vll/lrinsou, citizen ot the United States, residing; at

l3elicanflapids, in theveounty oi: Utter 'lailv and State ot Minnesota, have invented tain new and useful linprovements in Po tato Sorters vor Screening Aapparatus, o

4which the following is a specliieaticn, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Thisl invention relates to a potato sorter or screening apparatus, whereby potatoes can be quickly sorted or separated into diiterent grades `or sizes.

The object o'f the invention is the con struction of a simple and efficient apparatus which can he used for separating potatoes kof the irish variety7 and the the arrows. i

same apparatus may he used tor other separating purposes such as'the sorting ci? apples or other fruits or vegetables. y l i With these and other ohiectsin View, my invention comprises certain novel construe tions,comhinations, and arrangements of parts as willhe hereinafter specifically described, illustrated in the aceonipanyingi` drawings, and more particularly pointed out y smaller potatoes will drop through the aperin the appended claims.

vln the drawings: y t Figure lis a perspectiize View oit an apparatus .constructed in f accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a ofthe apparatus. i

` Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3F1gure l., looking 1n the direction of i fragmentary perspective viewof the inlet'end of the inner casing.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan View of a sheet ot metal from which the inner casing Figure Ll .is a

. is constructed.

innercaslng 1s notched as at 6,.producing` longitudinal sectional View the outwardlyaflared 'if-langes 7 that constitute anchoring means that lie parallel with the outer face of 'linge or ring 8; the ring t3 is fastened against the inlet end of the intermed'ate casingil.

p The three are efficientlyr spaced, one from the other, hy means of metallic loops 9; these loops 9 tie or tasten the three sorting cylinders or casings in sufficient spaced relation to allow the vegetables or it u'.. heine` sorted to pass between the casings into their .respective troughs or outlets. '.lhe inner casing 2 is provided with larger holes ork apertures than'the other` two casn ings; the intermediaJ casing is provided te with apertures smaller thanjthe apertures in the inner casing., hutwith apertures larger than the apertures in the outer casing; tle apertures in the outer casing are smaller than the apertures the other two casings so that7 for instance, the potatoes placed casing will he discharged into the inter-` mediate trough-19j (see arrow, Fig. 2), and the smaller potatoes dropping through the apertures in the intermediate casino; will fall into the outer casing ll, and thenceipass into the trough 13, the apertures in the outer casing beingf particularly provided yto allow dust or dir to pass down into the container l, and when the casings are lifted out oic the container, the saine can he cleaned the will ot the operator. t

`i-'i shaft la is journaled at its outer end l5 in they discharge end of' the container l., while the inner end ci the shaft is journaled in a notch l@ termed in theinner end oit the container; the handle l? is fastened to the shaft 14 'for rotating. the same. By means of spokes 18, the shalt is rigidly la tened ywithin the inner casing, the inner casing being fastened eccentrically to the shaft so that a better agitation of the potatoes or fruit being sorted Will be obtainable by the shaking of the contents of the casings as they are rotated by the operator through the medium of the handle 17 of shaft 14. This eccentric positioning of the casings upon the driving shaft 14 causes a shaking or jarring action during the rotation of the casings, thereby more eiliciently separating the contents of the casings and facilitating the sorting by allowing the smaller articles to drop through the apertures, Whereas hastening the discharge of the larger articles, at the discharge end of the casings, since, When the casings are in their lowest position upon the shaft, shown in Figure 2, the casings Will be inclined towards the outlet 11 and the troughs 12 and 13, thereby positively directing the articles or potatoes towards the discharge ends of the casings.

The discharge end 10a of the hopper funnel 10 is substantially the same size as the inlet end of the inner casing 2, preventing the potatoes from being discharged from its inlet end; the ring 8 closes the inlet or inner end of the intermediate casing 3, and any suitable closure means, as a piece of metal 19 (Fig. 2), can be employed for closing the inner end of the outer casing 4.

It is to be understood that the anchoring flanges 7, together with ring 8, will act as a spacing means and support for the inlet or inner ends of the inner and intermediate casings, but I further strengthen this connection by the loops 9, which loops efficiently space and tie the discharge outer ends of the casings, as hereinbefore stated. It is noted that the troughs 12 and 13 (Fig. 3) discharge at opposite ends of the container 1.

Certain minor alterations or changes may appear to one skilled in the art to Which this invention relates, which may be found desirable in constructing this apparatus on a :large scale, and, therefore, I reserve the right to make such minor alterations or changes in the manufacture of my apparatus as appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, and which shall fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination With a container, of a shaft journaled upon said container, an inner casing formed of perforated sheet metal positioned around said shaft, said inner casing provided With a notched inner end producing outwardly-flared flanges at an angle to the casing, means fastening said inner casing to said shaft, an intermediate casing surrounding said inner casing, a ring fastened to the inner end of the intermediate casing and engaging the inner casing, said out- Wardly-flared flanges resting against the outer face of said ring, an outer casing surrounding said intermediate casing, means suitably fastening and spacing all of said casings together, and means for supplying lvegetables or fruits to the interior of said inner casing.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination With a container, a shaft journaled upon said container, of a 'pair of apertured casings spaced one from the other and Xedly supported in an eccentric position upon said shaft, one of said casings provided With supporting flanges, the other casing provided With closure means atone end lying against said flanges, and means at the flanged end of the casing for supplying products to the interior of said casing, to be sorted. l 3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination With a container, a shaft journaled upon said container, of an inner casing fastened to said shaft, said inner casing provided at its inlet end With rigid, inwardly-disposed, spaced flanges, a casing on the outside of said inner casing and provided With means closing its inner end, said closing means resting against one side of said flanges of the inner casing, and a hopperl funnel provided with a discharge end eX- tending into the casing and substantially closing the inner end of said inner casing.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a container, a shaft journaled upon said c0ntainer,'of a plurality of apertured casings supported upon said shaft, loops connecting and spacing said casings, and means for supplying products to said casings.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination With a container, a'shaft journaled upon said container, of apertured casings eccentrically positioned upon and fastened to said shaft, metal loops threaded through some of the `apertures of said casings and fastening all of said casings together and spacing the same with respect to each other, and means extending around the shaft and substantially closing the inlet end of one of the casings for supplying products to the casings, to be sorted.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a container provided at one end with a notch and at its opposite end With a discharge outlet, oppositely-discharging troughs'positionecbcontiguous to said out'- let opening, a shaft journaled at one end in the container above the outlet opening and having its other end resting in the notch, an inner apertured casing extending around said shaft Within the container, and discharging through said outlet, spokes fastening the shaft and inner casing together, an intermediate and an outer apertured casing ieeoee ring fastened to the intermediate resting against the inner faces of the flanges, and a hopper funnel provided with a discharge end ClosingI the inlet end of the inner easing.

testimony7 whereof l hereunto efx my i5 signature.

HENRY MADSON.

easing and i0 

